630. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether she is satisfied that current Leaving Certificate subject-access arrangements provide students with dyslexia and other additional educational needs with an equitable opportunity to maximise their CAO points; whether she has considered circumstances in which a student with an Irish exemption who also experiences significant difficulty with English may effectively have fewer viable examination subjects available to them than their peers; and whether she will review the relevant guidance to ensure appropriate flexibility is available to schools. [65956/26]

631. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether schools have discretion to facilitate a Leaving Cert student with dyslexia and an exemption from Irish to study an additional subject, where the student is likely to experience significant difficulty achieving the required standard in English and where studying an additional subject would provide the student with six subjects in which they can realistically compete for CAO points; whether Departmental guidance requiring a focus on additional educational needs restricts a school’s discretion in this regard; and the reasonable accommodations or flexibility are available to such students. [65954/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 630 and 631 together.

In line with Circular 0055/2022 (www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/circulars/exemptions-from-the-study-of-irish-post-primary-2/), Exemptions from the study of Irish (post-primary),students who are exempt from the study of Irish may also be allowed to substitute another subject, short course or area of learning for Irish.

The deployment of teaching staff in the school, the range of subjects offered and ultimately the quality of teaching and learning are in the first instance a matter for the school management authorities. Therefore, it may not always be practical for a school to offer an alternative course in the case of students who hold an exemption from the study of Irish. The programme that each school plans and delivers should be based on the Department's approved syllabi and specifications, but the range of subjects offered will vary in accordance with the teaching resources in the school and the needs and interests of the students.

The Deputy may also wish to note that students with dyslexia or other learning difficulties may be eligible for supports in their Leaving Certificate examinations under the Reasonable Accommodations at the Certificate Examinations (RACE) scheme operated by the State Examinations Commission (SEC). The full range of accommodations available can be found in the 2026 Instructions for Schoolsand the Student Guidewhich can be accessed on the SEC website: https://www.examinations.ie/?l=en&mc=ca&sc=ra. Briefly, these can include reading accommodations such as access to a reader or reading assistant or use of an examination reading pen, writing accommodations such as use of a word-processor, or a recording device, waiver from the assessment of spelling, grammar and punctuation in language subjects, or additional time.